Millwall boss: 'We should have been four or five goals up before Fleetwood scored'

NEIL Harris said Millwall “were by far the better team” in their 1-0 loss against Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium on Monday.

Harris said his side should have been “four or five goals up” before Cod Army defender Ben Davies scored what proved to be the winning goal in first-half added time when he headed George Glendon’s free-kick past Tom King.

Ben Thompson and Lee Gregory had already hit the post as Millwall created seven clear scoring chances in the first 25 minutes when they also won eight corners.

Jake Cooper saw a second-half header saved by man-of-the-match Alex Cairns and Gregory had a shot cleared off the line as Fleewood somehow survived with their goal intact to move to within a point of Bolton and automatic promotion.

Harris was pleased with how his side played, but felt it was “criminal” they couldn’t get the goals their dominance should have merited.

“I thought we were outstanding at times,” Harris said. “I thought we were by far the better team over the course of the 90 minutes.

“We played some of the best attacking football we’ve played on the road this year, if not all season.

“I think the only game we created more chances than that was Bury away when we won the game.

“It’s criminal we weren’t four or five goals up before we conceded. And it was criminal we couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net in the last 15 minutes.

“We’ll learn from the 15 minutes before half-time when we conceded and weren’t at our best. But the rest of the game we were outstanding.

“It’s a disappointed dressing room because we didn’t get the result, but I said to them I was really pleased with the focus and the performance.”

The Lions remain in sixth place in League One with two games left. Southend missed the chance to climb above their rivals after losing 2-1 at home to MK Dons.

Rochdale and Bristol Rovers are also still in contention for a top-six place, but Millwall know if they win their last two games they will finish fifth or sixth and secure a place in the play-off semi-finals.

Harris admitted it was a relief when they found out the score from Roots Hall that kept their fate in their own hands.

“That’s a boost,” he said. “You come in and you think Southend are going to have won the game playing at home.

“But we don’t want to have to rely on other people, we want to rely on ourselves.”

John Kelly

16 thoughts on “Millwall boss: 'We should have been four or five goals up before Fleetwood scored'”

Having listened to the commentary this was one of those games where it just wasn't going to go our way. If we get them again in the play-offs, I think it will be a different outcome: they can't be that fortunate again!

I'm not sure Southend's games will be that easy. Shrewsbury will be desperate to get something from Saturday's game to avoid a last-day relegation dogfight and, depending on results, Bury might need to win at Roots Hall on the final day of the season to avoid relegation.

Great performance 2day lads everyone put 110% in keep it up don't let get this result get to u their goal keeper was on speed that what I like to see everyone fighting for the shirt let move on and get the points mk done us a favour it true what harris said we can't rely on other teams just rely on ourselves we can do lads COYL NOLU WDC WAM SM WAMFTD MILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

It's true if we won today and we should of,would of been a nice 4pt gap..which would of meant just a win saturday and we're in the playoffs..but where's the fun in that ,seeing I've already got tickets for Bristol..plus it's just not the millwall way to make it easy for us.
Will we do it ,I think yes cos it looks that Southend have lost there nerve.1 pt out of there last 2 home games suggest ..so coyl.

We can't keep on being that unlucky forcing so many chance and hitting the woodwork without getting the result, we'll turn Fleet over if we get them in the playoffs as I'm sure it'll be a different result with our playoff winning semi final experience.

I would like to go along with the claim we were just "unlucky" but the truth is, if we had taken the very good goal scoring opportunities we had in this and a lot of other games this season we would already be in the play offs. If you don't punish teams when you are on top and put the ball in the onion bag, particularly, away from home against the better teams in the division you inevitably get stung on the backside, and that's just what happened yesterday!

@wallDen: Your comments are realistic because we have dropped a lot of points in games we should have won because of missed chances. Although the cup run boosted the club's finances we were held to goal less draws immediately after the Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester games and had a poor run after the Spurs game. Gregory's 2 penalty misses in injury time against Oldham might also come back to haunt us.

Just got to make sure we win at home Saturday you never know bristol could be out of it by the following week and have nothing to play for . Just like to say I've been to Wembley every game and watched them lose every one the only game they won I was watching from tenerife so if you all fancy clubbing together I'm willing to watch it over there this year.

@Sdd: if we beat Oxford on Saturday, Bristol are out of it, regardless. No question, we absolutely have to win Saturday in order to keep it all in our own hands, no matter what Southend, Rochdale and Rovers do. If a few of their results go our way on saturday, Billy bonus. But we have to win. And we will. COYL.